


Apritello One Shots: The SFW Edition

by wallbanger2008



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Apritello, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, F/M, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:02:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26690350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallbanger2008/pseuds/wallbanger2008
Summary: Another collection of one shots featuring our favorite nerdy ninja couple. This one is gonna be strictly PG-13. If you're looking for smut, there's plenty of that in my other one shot collection.
Relationships: Donatello/April O'Neil (TMNT)
Comments: 85
Kudos: 58





	1. Moving In

**Author's Note:**

> Remember when I was like, 'I'm taking a break from one shots to write longer fics!' Yeah, me too. Welp, here we are again. These are all SFW one shots and a lot of them are mostly me exploring my own head canon. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April and Donnie are ready to take a major step forward in their relationship. Now they just have to tell Kirby.

"I didn’t know turtles could get sweaty palms.”

“Heh, the more you know.”

“Just. Try to chill out. It’s going to be fine,” April whispered as she let go of Donnie’s hand and patted his thigh under the table. He jumped a little at her contact and silently cursed his anxiety. He knew April was already nervous about tonight and she needed him to stand with her. A ‘united front,’ she’d said. He took a deep breath and tried to settle himself. 

“Here we go, this chicken is looking pretty good, if I do say so myself,” Kirby O’Neil called as he carried an admittedly delicious looking roast chicken in from the kitchen. He sat it down in front of his plate and began to carve. “Are you a leg or breast guy, Don?” 

“Uh… no preference, Mr. O’Neil,” Donnie said nervously, letting Kirby distribute the food. _Calm down, man. It’s just chicken._

But it wasn’t just chicken, was it? Ever since April had told her father they were dating, Kirby’s attitude toward Donnie had shifted. It wasn’t anything a casual observer might notice. In fact, Donnie often wondered if his brothers had picked up on it. He certainly had, though.

Kirby was still polite and welcoming to him, but Donnie noticed his smiles were a little forced at times and the ‘please, call me Kirby’-s had dried up. More than once, he’d caught the man frowning slightly if Donnie and April held hands in front of him or sat on the couch with their arms around each other to watch a movie.

All of it gave Donnie the distinct impression that Kirby _tolerated_ more than enjoyed his presence as April’s boyfriend. 

He’d brought it up to April who waved it off. “He’s my dad,” she’d said. “He gets itchy at the thought of his daughter dating anyone.”

Well, ok. Donnie knew that was a thing. Still, a small part of him wondered if there was more going on. He couldn’t imagine that he was the kind of guy Kirby had envisioned April falling in love with. So he remained on guard, always on his best behavior and mindful of not flaunting their relationship in Mr. O’Neil’s face. If he couldn’t _look_ like the kind of man Kirby thought April should be with, then at least he could _act_ like he was that man. 

And to that point: “This all looks great, Mr. O’Neil,” he said as they all tucked in. 

“Thank you, Donatello. The green bean casserole was one of April’s mother’s favorite recipes. We have it for Sunday dinner at least once a month.” 

“Oh, wow. That’s nice,” Donnie said politely. He glanced at April out of the corner of his eyes, silently begging her to get on with it. She’d agreed that it was on her to broach the topic they wanted to talk about. 

It turned out, Kirby got there first. Or at least opened the door. “It isn’t often April and I have guests for our Sunday _family_ dinner,” he said casually enough for them to pretend it wasn’t a pointed comment. 

To Donnie’s relief, April jumped right in. “I know it’s usually just you and me, Dad. But I asked Donnie to join us because there’s something he and I wanted to talk to you about.” 

Kirby paused with his fork halfway to his mouth, his already pale skin growing white. Donnie reeled, panicking over what Kirby might be thinking. 

"Ugh, don’t worry, I’m not pregnant or anything,” April said dismissively. Donnie ducked his head, trying to hide the blush that had flared across his cheeks. He loathed the idea of even hinting that his and April’s relationship might not be 100% chaste. Oh god how was he going to survive this dinner? Maybe Leo would call with an absolutely-cannot-get-out-of-it emergency and he could fling himself out the window to safety. 

He cringed and looked up. Kirby had regained some color and was now scrutinizing his daughter. “All right, what’s this all about then?” 

“Uh, well, Donnie and I have decided,” she paused and looked over at him. He nodded at her reassuringly then turned and jumped a little when he noticed Kirby was now staring at him too. Donnie turned back toward April, praying Kirby would follow suit. 

“Um, we’ve decided,” April continued, “that we’re going to live together. In the lair.” 

Kirby blinked at her. Then looked at Donnie. Then turned back. His brows furrowed. “April, is this some sort of joke?” 

April shrugged. “Nope.” 

“Honey, why…?” Kirby sighed. “I know it’s not the cool thing to do, to move back in with your parents after school. And believe me, I know how expensive rent can be in this city, but sweetie, there are other options than living down there. I can help you find roommates…”

“I don’t want roommates,” April said patiently. “This isn’t about not wanting to live here. It’s about Donnie and me. Wanting to live together.” 

Donnie fought the urge to sink down in his chair as Kirby frowned. “April don’t you think you’re a little young to be shacking up with some-“

“Some what?” April cut him off. “Some guy? Or some mutant?” 

Donnie and Kirby both cringed. Kirby turned and directed himself at Donnie. “Donatello, look. You… you have to see this from a father’s point of view. You’re a nice young man… but… this is hardly what I saw for my baby girl. Living in a sewer? With a boyfriend she can’t even walk down the street with?”

Donnie looked down, his heart in his throat. He’d had his suspicions but that didn’t make it any easier to hear out loud. He didn’t know what to say—what was there to say? 

Fortunately, April wasn’t the least bit put off. She reached over and grabbed his hand and he gratefully curled his fingers around hers. “Dad!” She chided. “How could you say that? You know how I feel about Donnie. We’ve been together for nearly two years. This is the next step. It feels right. To both of us,” she finished, squeezing his hand. 

Kirby let out a long breath and ran his hand over his face. “I don’t know, April.”

Donnie sat there feeling torn. On one hand he felt like he shouldn’t be part of this—it seemed like an intimate family conversation that maybe needed to be hashed out between father and daughter. On the other hand, April was an adult and she could make her own decisions. And as her boyfriend and the reason this conversation was happening at all, he knew he should say something to support that united front April had talked about. 

_Come on, D. Say something_. 

“Uh, Mr. O’Neil,” he began shakily. “I, uh, I just want you to know we’ve been discussing this for a while. I know this isn’t, uh, how you might have imagined things. But I really love your daughter, sir. And respect her,” he added hastily. There. That should do it, right? 

Maybe not. Kirby narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously, then swiveled back toward April. “So, where will you be staying in the lair? Your old room?” 

Donnie knew he was referring to the spare room where April had stayed when she’d temporarily lived with them. He realized where Kirby was going with this and color flooded his cheeks again. _Oh god no._ Oh god oh god _oh god_ he didn’t want to talk about this. Not with his girlfriend's father who he was just now realizing was once a young man himself and probably had a very accurate idea of every sordid thought Donnie had ever had about his daughter. Oh god. 

But April was undeterred. “No, I’ll be staying in Donnie’s room. With him,” she said, jutting her chin out slightly. It reminded Donnie of how she looked when she got into stance to fight and his eyes flicked nervously back and forth between the two O’Neils. 

Kirby’s nostrils flared but he stayed silent for a bit as he gazed at his daughter thoughtfully. Finally, he heaved a sigh and stabbed a green bean with his fork. “Well,” he said resignedly. “I suppose there’s not much I can do to stop you. You’re an adult, you can make your own choices. Just. Make sure you’re making good ones,” he added, pointing the green bean at April, who beamed. 

As Kirby bit into his forkful, his gaze slid over to Donnie and held there. He said nothing, but Donnie felt he was receiving a message loud and clear.

The rest of the meal was spent talking through the logistics of moving April’s things down to the lair and her negotiating with Kirby over coming home once a week for dinner and for holidays. Donnie was mostly silent save for a few suggestions on moving April in. 

Inside, he felt like a swelling balloon. This was it. April was officially moving in with him. He’d get to wake up to her every morning and fall asleep every evening with her in his arms. He’d never have to lay alone at night, wondering what she was doing or if she was thinking of him the same way he thought of her. 

And they’d have a room all to themselves. No more waiting for Kirby to work late at night or getting knowing, teasing glances from his brothers the way they currently did whenever they went off to his room together. Well, ok, they’d probably still get some of those, but he hoped it’d die down once it became more routine. 

At the end of dinner, Donnie and April cleared the table and did the dishes. They didn’t say much, but Donnie’s heart gave a little leap every time April shot him a small excited smile. _Holy chalupa. We’re actually doing this_. 

April wouldn't be moving in until next weekend, so they eventually were forced to say goodnight. April indicated she’d say a proper goodnight to him out on the fire escape, away from her father’s line of sight. Donnie was about to follow her out the window when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Kirby. 

“Don… can I have a quick word with you?” He said softly. 

“Uh, sure,” Donnie gulped. He shot a look at April who shrugged. 

“I’ll wait for you out here.”

Donnie followed Kirby into the next room, his heart racing. Shit. Here it is. The I-don’t-want-you-laying-a-mutated-hand-on-my-daughter speech. Donnie cringed and waited for it all to crash over him. 

He was surprised when Kirby gave him a small, albeit tight, smile. “I, uh, wanted to apologize for what I said during dinner,” he said. “About not wanting April to be with someone like you. That’s, that’s not what I meant. I just want her to be happy. And I was concerned that being with you… she might be closing herself off from certain things.”

Donnie hung his head. “I know, sir.” Boy did he ever. At least once a week he had the same thought. 

“But,” Kirby stressed. “If being with you is what makes her happy, then I think I can learn to roll with that. It could be worse, I suppose. Between you and me, I was more nervous a few years ago back when that Casey Jones character was sniffing around,” he shook his head.

Donnie simply smiled. He younger self would have jumped at the idea of April’s father disliking Casey. But now that Casey was more friend than rival, he wasn’t as keen to join in on the joke. 

“Anyway, I guess I’m just trying to say that… April’s a special girl. _My_ special girl. And it’s hard for a father to let go. Just. Promise me you’ll take care of her.”

Donnie swallowed. “Mr. O’Neil, I love your daughter. And I’ll always do my best to keep her safe. But. Well… I think I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out April can more than take care of herself. She’s a pretty awesome girl. Woman, really,” he finished and rubbed the back of his neck. He hoped he hadn’t crossed a line there. 

Luckily, Kirby smiled and nodded. “I know she can. Ok, enough torture. I’ll let you go.” He patted Donnie on the shoulder and left the room. 

Donnie let out a long breath. Well, that could have gone a lot worse. No threats of de-shelling or castration. 

He made his way over to the window and climbed out to join April. 

“How’d it go in there?” She asked, crinkling her nose. “He’s not getting the shotgun is he?” 

Donnie chuckled. “Nothing like that. I think we’re good, your dad and I. He’s going to miss you though.” 

“Yeah, I know,” April sighed. “Still… this is what I want. I want to be with you.”

She placed a hand on his cheek and guided him down to press her lips against his. The kiss was sweet and Donnie felt her nip his bottom lip before pulling away. “Mmm, just think,” April said quietly. “In less than a week we won’t have to do this ever again. When we say goodnight, it’ll be laying in bed next to each other.” 

There was something in her voice that was making him want to toss her over his shoulder and find the nearest, most secluded rooftop and give her a much longer ‘goodnight.’ Darwin’s beard, no wonder fathers don’t trust their daughter’s boyfriends.

Instead, he just smiled back at her and whispered, “I can’t wait.”


	2. Valentines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short n sweet ficlet I’ve had sitting around in my Google doc for a while. 
> 
> April’s a little bummed because she has to hide her love under a bushel.

April is not your average girl--and not because she’s half kraang or possesses certain psychic powers. In Donnie’s opinion, April is truly one in a million. Or, one in 7.59 billion. (It’s important to be accurate.) 

But, as it turns out, April is still your average girl in some ways. Even if those ways might seem trivial to others. Donnie finds that out the day before Valentine’s Day--which, by the way, he totally has plans for. Plans that April will love. Hopefully. But then, the day before, she mopes into his lab, looking put out.

He has to bend her arm a little, but he eventually gets it out of her. Apparently, the student council at her school was selling Valentine’s candygrams as a fundraiser. The fundraiser was a hit...with the students who received candygrams from their boyfriends or girlfriends. But, as April’s boyfriend didn’t go to her school--hell, he couldn’t step foot in the door without potentially inciting a riot--April had received none. 

Of course, being April, she tried to play the whole thing off as no big deal. “It’s just stupid candy,” she’d said. But Donnie knew. It was easy to put himself in her shoes when she’d mentioned sitting at lunch while all the girls at her table had received their candygrams. It probably sucked. 

He knew what it was like to feel left out. 

After she left, he began thinking. Part of him was tempted to call Casey and ask him to place a candygram order on his behalf. But...that would mean involving Casey and, hah. No. He soon had a better idea, one that was blessedly Casey-free.

The next day, April is shocked when she’s called to the office just before lunch only to find a gorgeous bouquet waiting for her. Her heart skips a beat and she knows before she even opens the card who sent the purple irises and yellow sunflowers. There’s a bounce in her step as she carries the flowers with her to the cafeteria, already preparing a cover story in her head about an adorable boy who goes to school in Northampton. The one she’ll say she met and kissed for the first time while vacationing at her family’s farmhouse. 

April might not be your average girl...but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy certain “girly” things. 


	3. The Other One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April and Donnie spend a little time with 1987 Donnie. No, not like that, you pervs. 😉
> 
> This would take place at some point during The Foot Walks Again or The Big Blow Out.

April lounged against the couch, absently chewing her slice of pizza and silently observing the flurry of activity going on around her. Oh, and trying to figure out where hanging out with doppelgänger turtles from another dimension ranked on her on-going list of weird shit that has happened to her. 

When the guys had told Casey and her about meeting their counterparts after that first time, she’d believed them. Why wouldn’t she? How was that any stranger than dinosaurs in space or finding out that she was freaking part alien? 

Seeing the other turtles in person, however, was a different story. They were so strange looking. But then again, she’d initially found her turtles strange looking and now look at her: dating and very much in love with one of them. She tilted her head and watched the Other Donnie as he helped himself to another slice of pizza in the kitchen. She wondered if Other April ever had feelings for him. 

“It’s weird right?” 

She nodded without looking away as her Donnie sat down next to her. 

“I keep thinking I’m going to get used to them...but I never do,” he said, joining her in her observation. 

“What’s it like, talking to yourself?” she asked, finally tearing her eyes away from the Other Don. 

Donnie shrugged and turned toward her. “Not as weird as you might think. For me, the most unsettling part is watching them as a group, you know, knowing that somehow, that’s us, in another world. If that makes any sense. But,” he continued. “Talking to the other guy… we’re not as similar as you might think. It’s not like talking to a clone of myself.”

“I wonder what Other April is like,” April mused. “All I have to go on is that she also likes jumpsuits and I think she’s a reporter?”

“She’s also really nice, but she does get kidnapped a lot.”

April jumped and turned to find that Other Donnie had snuck up alongside them. He plopped down on the couch and placed his plate and pizza in his lap. “Our April is older, too.”

“How much older?” April asked, intrigued. 

“How old are you?” 

“Nineteen.”

“Hmm, well I’m not sure how much older she is exactly,” Other Donnie said. “But she’s definitely not a teenager. I think she’s in her mid-twenties.” Ah, well, so much for wondering if Other April might like Other Donnie. 

“Not to sound rude, but if April’s that much older, what’s she doing hanging out with you guys?” Donnie asked. 

Other Donnie shrugged and took a bite of his pizza. “We saved her life and now she’s like an older sister. How about you?” He nodded toward April. “How’d you get mixed up with us in this world?” 

April turned to her Donnie and smiled warmly, remembering the first time she’d laid eyes on him. She’d been terrified that day, but the memory was now heavily distorted due to the powerful nostalgia-goggles that came with knowing Donnie had fallen for her on the spot. 

“They saved me too,” she said, reaching out and putting her hand on top of her Donnie’s. “And they haven’t been able to get rid of me since.”

Donnie flipped his hand over to hold hers and smiled back at her. 

“Wait,” Other Donnie said slowly. “Are you two… ?” He pointed a thick finger back and forth between them. 

They turned back toward him. “Yeah, for about a year now,” Donnie said, puffing up a bit. 

April didn’t think it was possible for the other turtle’s eyes to bulge any further, but Other Donnie had just proved her wrong. He whipped his head back and forth between them, looking astonished. 

“But you’re a…” he gasped, pointing at Donnie, “and _you’re_ a…” he pointed with his other hand at April. She exchanged a grin with her Donnie and took a bite of her slice, deciding to let him take this one. 

“Yep,” he said. “What, you’re telling me you’ve never been attracted to a human girl?” 

“Well, yeah,” Other Donnie spluttered, “but I never thought—”

“Neither did I,” her Donnie exclaimed. “Turns out, some girls are…” he paused, searching for the right word. 

“Careful how you finish that, D,” April sang. 

“Not put off by the unusual,” he concluded. 

“Wow,” the Other Donnie put his plate to the side and leaned in. “So if you guys are really boyfriend and girlfriend, does that mean you guys—“ 

“Yes.” April interrupted, starting to feel a little uncomfortable. 

Other Donnie looked at her. “You don’t know what I was gonna ask.”

She shrugged and got up. “Don’t have to. If it’s anything regarding what couples do with each other, the answer is yes.” She remained long enough to watch Other Donnie’s eye grow round again. She looked over at her Donnie, who was looking like the cat that got the cream and rolled her eyes. 

“I’m going to get some water,” she announced and walked back to the kitchen. 

Raph was sitting at the table, thankfully alone. April grabbed a water bottle and sat down next to him. “This is weird,” she mumbled before taking a swig. 

“You said it, sister. The Donnies seem to be getting along though,” he gestured toward where the two of them were now deep in animated conversation. “Talk about double your fun,” he said, elbowing her and making a lewd face. 

April elbowed him back. “Gross,” she groaned, then turned back to the two, imagining what they must be talking about. 

“He’s probably just thrilled to have someone new he can brag to about you,” Raph said as he helped himself to another slice. 

April stared at him. “How do you know…?” 

Raph chuckled. “Donnie’s easy to read. And that look on his face right now? That’s the look he gets whenever he’s talking about his favorite subject. And I’ll give you a hint. It ain’t electrical engineering.” 

April felt touched. But also a little unnerved. Just what was her Donnie telling his counterpart about her? The uncertainty must have shown on her face. Raph cuffed her lightly on the shoulder. “Leave him be,” he advised. “He doesn’t get an audience like this often. We usually give him about thirty seconds of ‘I love April, April is so great,’ talk before one of us shuts him up.” 

April tutted. “He’s your brother!” 

“Yeah, that’s why we give him a whole thirty seconds.” He paused and took a bite of his pizza. “That dork loves you more than you could possibly imagine.”

April smiled to herself and played with the cap of her water bottle. She could sorta imagine. 

  
  



	4. The Healing Power of Cheese

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April and Donnie enjoy a night in the kitchen. I hope you guys are fans of grilled cheese.

“Not that I don’t love every moment I spend with you, pumpkin spice, but this feels like more of an activity for Mikey.”

“Mikey may be the chef, but what we’re about to do requires trial and error. Experimenting. And an aggressive evaluation and ranking of results. I need a _scientist_ , D,” April countered as she spread her materials across the counter top. 

Donnie scanned the array of food in front of him. A few loaves of bread, assorted fruits and veggies, meats, and more varieties of cheese than he’d ever seen in his life. 

“This is... a lot of cheese,” he muttered. “We’re not eating all of this, are we?”

“Ok, first of all, that kind of attitude is not going to fly if this experiment is going to be successful,” April said. She picked up a wheel of Camembert and began tossing it between her hands. “Look, some girls crave chocolate during this time of the month, I crave cheese.”

Donnie bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. “Didn’t I see you whip out a king sized chocolate bar during patrol last night?”

“Hey! I shared!” April cried in faux outrage. 

“Yeah, a tiny corner with Mikey and only after he whined for like, four city blocks.”

“Mikey can have more of my chocolate when he starts having to deal with cramps that no amount of ibuprofen can tame.”

Donnie smiled sympathetically. His poor girl. He’d spent last night after patrol rubbing her back for her while she fell asleep curled around a hot water bottle. He’d had no idea before she’d moved in how hard April got hit during her period. 

“Sorry, April,” he said, running a hand down her back and pulling her against his front. He planted a kiss on her head. He waited until she pulled away before continuing. “Ok. Lay it on me. How’re we doing this?” 

April clapped her hands together and beamed up at him. “Ok. Welcome to Iron Chef: Grilled Cheese Edition!”

Donnie chuckled as her voice grew dramatic. “On the table before you, you’ll find a variety of ingredients you can use to create two grilled cheese sandwiches of your own design,” she boomed and gestured widely to the counter. “I’ll be responsible for creating two sandwiches of my own. We have 45 minutes to complete our challenge before we taste our sandwiches and decide who reigns supreme as Grilled Cheese Queen!”

Donnie snorted. “Or king!” he added, pointing at himself. 

“We’ll see,” April smirked. “Ok...I’m going to set the time on my phone.” She put her phone on the counter and picked up a spatula and thrust it toward Donnie. “Are you ready?”

Donnie grinned. “Let’s do this.” 

April tapped her screen once. “We’re off!” she yelled and immediately attempted to hip check Donnie away from the counter. 

“Hey! You didn’t say anything about this being full-contact cooking!” He laughed. 

“All’s fair in love and cheese,” April crowed.

What followed was a whirlwind of activity as the two of them scrambled for ingredients and kitchen tools. Donnie didn’t consider himself a chef at all, and he suspected he was about to have his shell handed to him. But he didn’t mind in the least. All that mattered was that his April was happy. 

When the timer finally went off, April and Donnie stepped back from their plates. Donnie glanced over at April’s plates and scoffed. He’d thought he’d nailed it with bacon and cheddar on one sandwich and apple and Gruyere on the other. 

But April’s sandwiches were clearly blowing his out of the water. “What are _those?”_ he asked, leaning down to inspect each sandwich. 

April grinned triumphantly. “That,” she said, pointing to a sandwich that looked stuffed with ingredients, “is a baked potato grilled cheese. It has cheddar, thinly sliced potatoes, pancetta, chives, and sour cream.”

“It looks _insane,”_ Donnie breathed, then quickly amended. “I mean insanely good. What’s this one?”

April gestured to the second grilled cheese as if she were presenting a showcase on The Price is Right. “This is my dessert grilled cheese,” she said proudly. “Dark chocolate, raspberry, and Brie.”

Donnie straightened up. “I don’t think I even need to taste them. I think it’s pretty clear who the winner is here.” He wrapped an arm around April and pulled her into his side. 

She smiled up at him. “You acquitted yourself well, Don. But… there’s just no denying it. The cheese… it speaks to me.” 

“The chocolate too, it would seem,” Donnie said, poking at her second sandwich. 

“The best of both worlds,” April sighed. She picked up the sandwich, bit into it and moaned in a way that made Donnie’s cheeks turn pink 

“That good, huh?” 

“Oh _god_ , it’s better than sex,” April groaned through another bite, her eyes rolling back as she savored it. Donnie raised a brow. He was certain she was exaggerating… that or he had some serious thinking to do. “Here, try it,” she said, shoving the sandwich toward his mouth. 

He bit and hummed as the flavors exploded over his tongue. “Oh… oh wow that _is_ good. I don’t know if I would say it’s better than… you know,” he paused, looking at April pointedly and she giggled. “But yeah, it’s really good. I never would have thought those flavors could go together like that.” 

He took another bite. “Mmm. Yeah. You need to talk to Mikey because this is delicious and most of Mikey’s flavor combos are, you know, crimes against nature.”

April chuckled and picked up his apple and Gruyere sandwich and took a bite. “This is good too, D. I think we really killed this one.” She held up her hand for a high-five as she took another bite. Donnie slapped her palm and wrapped his fingers around hers. 

“Want to ask the guys if they want to try any of these?” he asked. 

“Not to be rude,” April said as she reached for her baked potato sandwich. “But _fuck_ no. Mama is in no mood to share.”

Donnie leaned forward on the counter, propping his chin in one hand and smiling as he watched his girlfriend enjoying herself. 

Unseen as he passed the doorway, Raph observed the two for a moment before making his way to the couch and sitting down next to Leo. 

“Don’s in there making moon eyes at April while she’s hoovering the biggest sandwich I’ve ever seen,” he said, gesturing toward the kitchen.

“You know how he feels about her,” Leo muttered, not looking up from his book. 

Raph shook his head. “She had cheese and I think somehow chocolate on her face. She’s looked better. Dude’s got it bad.”

Leo smiled enigmatically behind his book. “We should all be so lucky.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else hungry? 🙂


	5. Class of 2018

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April brings in the big guns to pull off a memorable senior prank. And by big guns, I mean Donnie. This is another shortie that I’ve had kicking around my Google doc for a bit. 
> 
> Yeah, I don’t know if the graduating year is quite right but... just go with it, eh?

Casey’s the one who brings it up first, because of course he does. Donnie had never heard of the concept of a senior prank. It sounded like something Mikey would do if he were in school. 

It’s a couple months out from graduation and Casey is holding court in the lair, describing some prank idea that involves setting numbered pigs loose in the school. He and Mikey are conferring on how best to obtain the pigs when April interjects. 

“Lame.”

All heads swivel in her direction. “Aww, don’t worry, Red,” Casey laughs. “I’ll make sure your name’s not tied to it. Wouldn’t want to mess with that scholarship.”

April rolls her eyes. “Worry about that hockey scholarship, Case. I’m talking about the fact your idea is lame. So _been_ _done_.”

“Oh, and you’ve got a better idea?”

“As a matter of fact I do.”

The guy’s heads ping-pong back and forth between the two. 

“And better yet,” April smirked and slid over closer to Donnie. “I have a boyfriend who’s going to help me do it.”

Donnie barely looked up from his laptop. “I’m not helping you mutate your civics teacher, April,” he said dryly.

“I was just joking about that,” April scoffed, then added in a sotto voice, “Although Mr. Ortega would totally deserve it.” Casey nodded emphatically across the room. 

“I swear, it’s a 100% mutagen-free idea,” she continued. “But we would need your help Donnie.”

Donnie closed his laptop. “All right. What are we talking here?”

April grinned. “Nothing crazy, I’m pretty sure it can be done with a little stealth and a system of simple machines. But we’d need your help designing it.”

Donnie leaned toward her, intrigued. “Go on.” 

“Ok, so it’s like this,” April began.

_**A Week Later** _

Casey left his apartment for school earlier than he could remember. Which, admittedly wasn’t all that early, but it was early enough for him to arrive along with most of the other students instead of sprinting in the beat the bell. He spotted April at the corner and jogged over to her. 

“Morning, Red,” he smiled. “Ready to bask in the chaos?”

April chuckled in response and they both approached Roosevelt. Instead of making their way inside, students across the sidewalk had halted and were looking up, many of them laughing or taking videos or photos on their phones. 

April and Casey joined the fray and craned their necks to look upward. Two stories up near the edge of the roof, their principal was walking in frenetic circles around his booted Chevy Impala, gesturing wildly and talking into his phone. Directly below the car, a bed sheet banner hung from the roof proclaiming “Roosevelt Class of 2018!” 

“I gotta hand it to your boy, Red,” Casey said, lowering his voice. “He made it look like child’s play, hauling that clunker up there.”

“Give him a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and he shall move the world,” April muttered back. 

“Huh?” 

“It's a famous saying about physics. Nevermind,” April shook her head. “You’re right. He did a great job.” 

She whipped out her phone and quickly texted her boyfriend before heading into school: _We killed it! People at this school are gonna be talking about this forever. I majorly owe you. Gonna spend all day thinking of how to thank you. ;)_

It’s going to be a good day, she decided. 


	6. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karai offers to extend April’s training...which gives her and Donnie something to think about.

April was sitting on the couch in lair, messing around on her computer when she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up and saw Karai making her way toward her, a beer in each hand. 

“Mind if I join you?” she asked. She sat down without waiting for April’s reply. 

“Not at all,” April replied. She pushed her laptop to the side and accepted a drink. The girls clinked their bottles and took a swig. 

“Were you in the middle of something?” Karai asked, nodding to the laptop.

“Not really, just doing some resear…”

“Ok good, because I want to talk to you about something,” Karai cut her off. “It’s about your training.”

“Oh, ok,” April inwardly sagged. Things had definitely changed since Karai had come to live with the turtles. Not for the bad, necessarily. It wasn’t that April didn’t like her--she did, and it was about damn time that she had a female ally in the gang. Karai, it turned out, had interests beyond ninjutsu, and was always happy to accompany April shopping or indulge in a trip to the salon. Karai loved a good manicure. 

But a tiny part of April--one that she wasn’t proud of--sometimes wished it was just her and the guys again. A silly part of her liked being queen of the castle. Plus, as nice as she could be, Karai could also be intimidating. She was often in the dojo when April was training and April swore she could sometimes feel the weight of Karai’s scrutiny on her body as she ran through her katas. And that was nothing compared to the blows her self-esteem took when they sparred against each other. 

Now, April braced herself, expecting Karai to launch into a lecture on how her form was sloppy and the boys took it too easy on her. 

She was surprised when Karai smiled and said, “You’ve been doing really well. Your fighting has improved immensely from when we first met.” She winked, and April knew she was thinking about the first time they’d fought. 

“I bet you wouldn’t even have to resort to pulling my hair now,” Karai smirked, confirming April’s suspicions. 

“Ugh,” April groaned. “That was so...high school catfight of me.”

“Don’t knock yourself down! You did what you had to,” Karai bumped her shoulder into April’s. “No shame in it.”

Anyway, as I was saying, your fighting is coming along nicely. Splinter,” she paused and looked down for a moment at the mention of her late father, “He and the guys have taught you well.”

“Thanks, Karai,” April smiled. 

“But, if you want to be a true kunoichi, you will need to hone an additional skill that they cannot teach you,” Karai continued. “Well,” she snorted, “I suppose they could, but I would _love_ to see them try.”

“What’s that?”

Karai grinned. “Seduction.”

April choked on her beer and looked wildly around her to see if any of the guys were nearby. Fortunately, they all seemed preoccupied in other areas and out of earshot. 

“Karai,” she whispered. “I am not...I don’t know…what in the world would I need that for?”

Karai chuckled. “I’m not talking about seducing a guy into bed, although it’s not unheard of. I’m talking about being able to bend someone to your will with a look or a touch or a subtle word. It doesn’t always end in sex. It can be seducing someone into trusting you, do you see what I mean?”

“Sort of,” April said. “But it’s not like I don’t know how to flirt. I know what guys like.”

“Being able to get Donatello all worked up doesn’t count,” Karai huffed. “I’ve seen you two together. You hold a test tube the wrong way and he starts to sweat. I’m talking about harder targets.” She leaned in. “Ok, remember when I first met Leo? He knew I was in league with his enemies and see what I was able to accomplish over the course of just a couple conversations?”

April gasped. “That’s right! Karai, he visited me after he met you and told me about you and he practically had hearts in his eyes!”

Karai leaned back, looking smug. “Seduction,” she shrugged. “My goal wasn’t to get him into bed…”

“You certainly got him there in the end,” April snickered. 

Karai waved away the interruption. “Well, we were clearly destined for other things. But at the time, my goal was mainly to get a foot in the door, if you’ll pardon the pun. And I did. And you know what Leo is like. Stalwart and a do-gooder to a fault. But even he has weaknesses. All men and women do. And I can teach you how to use those weaknesses, like a true kunoichi. And with you gifts… I suspect you’ll be a natural.”

April had to admit it: It was tempting. And she could see how knowing how to do that could help their group with infiltration and reconnaissance in the future. Still...she couldn’t shake one nagging doubt. 

“It sounds interesting. But...I don’t know if Donnie would like it,” she said weakly. “I mean, I don’t know if he’d appreciate me learning how to seduce people. He already gets jealous pretty easily.”

Karai put a comforting hand on April’s knee. “April, Donnie knows what kunoichi do and the special skills that we’re traditionally taught. If he’s serious about supporting you, he’ll understand. Why don’t you just ask him?”

April nodded. She drained the rest of her beer and stood up. “I will. Um, thanks. You know, for offering. I’ll, uh, let you know.”

Karai held her bottle up to her. “Of course. We kunoichi have to stick together,” she grinned. 

* * *

Later that evening, April sought out Donnie in his lab. She was pleased to find him alone and she slid the door closed behind her. This was not a conversation she wished to be overheard. 

“Hey Donnie,” she called out. 

Her boyfriend looked up from his work and grinned widely. “April! What time is it?” 

She glanced at her phone. “Almost 10. Why?” 

“Nothing. Just promised myself I would stop by 11. Trying to get more sleep,” he shrugged. 

April smirked. “Oh? And the fact that I’ve already been asleep when you’ve come to bed the last few nights has nothing to do with it?” 

“Heh heh. That might have something to do with it,” he chuckled. “What’s up? How’s your night going?”

April hesitated, then decided just to jump right in. She and Donnie prided themselves on being completely honest with each other and what she was about to propose would require considerable trust on his part. 

“My night’s been interesting,” she said. “Karai talked to me about Kunoichi training.”

“Oh yeah? What’d she say?”

“She said I’ve been doing well and that you guys have done a great job training me. But,” she paused. “She said she wants to continue my training. She, uh, wants to train me in the art of seduction. Like, as it applies to Kunoichi skills.” She stopped and tried to gauge Donnie’s response. 

He’d looked pleased when she’d mentioned Karai was impressed with her training thus far. But now his brow was drawn tight and his smile was gone. 

April allowed her mind to brush against his and she could feel uncertainty rolling off of him along with a twinge of jealousy. “She said it was traditional,” she added. 

Donnie sighed and rubbed a hand over his mouth. “It is,” he said slowly. “Kunoichi are, uh, traditionally known for their skills in manipulation and seduction just as much as their fighting skills. And Karai definitely has those skills in spades.” He tilted his head and looked at her, and April felt like he was trying to see inside her head. 

“Is… is it something you want to learn?” He finally asked diplomatically. 

April paused. She knew her answer, but it was important to her to have Donnie’s support. “Yeah. I think so,” she said. “I think it… those skills… they could be useful.” 

Donnie nodded, but she noticed he wasn’t looking directly at her. She frowned. “Hey… if you don’t, you know, feel comfortable with it, I can—“

“No,” Donnie cut her off. He finally met her eyes. “Your training is important. And Karai is right. This is traditional training for Kunoichi. If you want to do this… you should.”

April reached out and grabbed his hand. “Are you sure you’re ok with it?”

“Heh. You’re asking me if I’m ok with my girlfriend being taught how to entice other men—“

“And women.”

He nodded. “And women. Yeeah, I think ‘ _ok_ ’ is the right word for it. I’m not terribly thrilled, but yeah, I’m _ok_ with it.” 

“Thanks Donnie,” April smiled and leaned in to close the gap between them. She slid her lips over his and gasped as he grabbed her hips—harder than usual—and picked her up and put her on his desk. She mentally reached out again. _Possessive._

All right then. She reached up and grabbed the tails of his mask and yanked his head back so she could kiss and suck at his neck, forcing a light moan from his lips. “You, uh, you sure you really need lessons in this?” He teased. 

“Mmm, I look forward to practicing whatever I learn on you,” April mumbled into his neck. She grinned as she felt him shiver at her words. 

“Oh god,” he groaned. “Our room?” 

April gave his neck one last nip. “Lead the way, D.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is technically the first chapter of a fic I’ve been toying around with. I’m not sure when or if I’ll ever finish it, but I think this chapter works well enough as a stand-alone.


	7. Official

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie and April decide to make things official. Or, at least as official as they can. 
> 
> Warning: Incoming sticky sweetness.

It was a quiet evening in the lair. April was curled up on the couch reading a book. Donnie sat a few feet away from her, absorbed by something on his laptop, but silently keeping her company. After several years of being together, it was the perfect kind of quiet companionship they both enjoyed from each other. 

“HEY GUYS GUESS WHAT I JUST DID!” Mikey yelled, shattering their cozy silence as he hurtled over the back of the couch and wedged himself between them. 

“If you used one of my pipetters to make barista pizza art again I am going to be very upset,” Donnie warned. 

April smiled and closed her book. “What did you do, Mikey?” 

Mikey beamed. “You guys are looking at the Universal Life Church’s newest minister! I just got myself ordained, dudes! You wanna get married? CAUSE I CAN TOTALLY MARRY YOU TWO!” He threw his arms over their shoulders and brought them into a crushing hug before leaping up from the couch. “Whaddya say?” 

April and Donnie stared at him with open mouths then looked at each other. Truth be told, they’d never discussed marriage. Why would they? It’s not like it would ever be recognized by the state. Donnie knew he couldn’t very well march her up to City Hall. And honestly, what would be the point? What difference would a piece of paper make? They loved each other. They were committed. This was it for them. They didn’t need anything else, right? 

Swallowing nervously, Donnie turned back toward his brother. “Ah heh, thanks, Mikey. We’ll, uh, be sure to let you know if we need you for that.” 

April gave him a little smile. “Yeah. Thanks, Mikey,” she added. “But I don’t think we’re ready to get married right this second.”

“Aww!” Mikey sagged, clearly put out. “But you guys are so in love! And I hear weddings are really fun!”

“They’re also a big deal,” April said gently. “Not something you’re supposed to do on a whim. Tell you what,” she said, reaching out and putting a hand on Mikey’s arm. “If Donnie and I ever get married, I promise you can officiate.”

“Yeah, all right,” Mikey said reluctantly. He shuffled away, mumbling under his breath about not living up to his newly ordained potential. 

April chuckled lightly and went back to her book and Donnie attempted to get back to his work. He couldn’t help but notice though that something in the air had shifted.   


* * *

Later that evening as they prepared for bed, Donnie couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Mikey’s interruption had somehow pushed their relationship out of homeostasis. 

He’d quickly researched the legitimacy of Mikey’s ordination and been surprised that it was above board. Not that it would make any difference, legally speaking. But still. He hadn’t realized that just anyone could perform a marriage ceremony. And just like that, a fuzzy image of April, clad in white, had trickled into his brain.

He’d tried to push it aside. April had never mentioned marriage, so who even knew if it was something she wanted. He barely knew if he wanted it. He was with her, it was great, what more could he want? Would some declaration unrecognized by the state really change their relationship? 

He sat on the bed weighing if he should say something as he watched April pull on the oversized t-shirt she wore to bed and tug the elastic from her hair. It was all so familiar to him now—he could hardly believe he ever once felt anxious around her. She smiled at him as she picked up her brush from her nightstand and sat down on her side of their bed and that was it. Decision made. 

Her hand was halfway to her hair when he grabbed her wrist. “Let me?” he asked. 

April grinned and scooted around until her back was to him. Donnie took her brush and moved forward until he was directly behind her, his long legs on either side of her body. He ran a hand through her hair, marveling as always over how soft it was, before beginning to brush, working from the ends up the roots just like April had taught him years ago. 

“So. What’s on your mind?” April asked.

“What? A guy can’t offer to brush his girlfriend’s hair?”

“He _can_ ,” she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. “But you tend to do this when you want to talk to me about something.” 

Busted. She really did know him. His heart sped up a bit as he brushed and mulled over what to say, nervous about how to best approach an unchartered subject. 

“So how about Mikey today?” he finally asked, figuring it was a safe way to test the waters. 

April’s shoulders bounced as she laughed. “I thought it was pretty cute. I wonder where he got the idea.”

“Eh, I’d rather stay out of Mikey’s Google rabbit holes,” Donnie joked. He paused before speaking again. “Is it something you ever think about? Getting married, I mean.” _That’s right, keep it casual._

April was quiet for a moment—long enough that Donnie stopped brushing her hair, worried that he’d upset her. “Yeah. I do sometimes,” she finally said quietly. “Do you?” 

“I have.” He resumed brushing. “But… you know, it’s not like it’s really an option for me. Uh, I mean us. Uh, legally speaking.” 

April hummed noncommittally and without being able to see her face, Donnie was suddenly struck by the worrying notion that she might think he was shutting her down. It was the last thing he wanted. “I mean, if I could have, I would have married you a long time ago,” he blurted out, then cringed. It was the truth, but… 

April whirled around. She looked confused. “Really? Because this is the first I’ve ever heard you talk about it,” she said. 

Donnie looked down at the brush in his hand and shrugged. “What was the point? You know I can’t...” He couldn’t finish. _Stupid, stupid_. He should have known this discussion would end up this way. One more thing Donnie can’t do. _Stupid_. 

He felt April’s hand on his shoulder and looked up. The confusion had melted away and been replaced by compassion. “Donnie,” she said softly. “I’ve thought about it so many times. You know I want to be with you. For the rest of our lives.”

Donnie huffed. What was he thinking, bringing this up? He could imagine everything she would say. Everything he’d say. And at the end of the conversation they’d just agree that this was the way it was. How it would always be for them. Finding out that April thought about being married? That it was something she wanted? How was that supposed to be helpful? 

“I guess that’ll have to be enough,” he said bitterly. “You want to be with me. I want to be with you,” he took a deep breath and tried to smile. “It’s not like we need a piece of paper to make it official.” 

“No… I guess not,” April said slowly. “But. Ok. You said you would have married me already if you could, right?”

“Yeah,” Donnie said, unsure where she was going with this. 

“So… that means you want it. That piece of paper. Or whatever, right?”

Donnie sighed, feeling like he’d been caught. When did this get so confusing? “Yeah, of course,” he admitted. “I love you. I want everyone to know. I want it to be official.” 

April smiled gently. “Well, I want it too. And since Mikey’s announcement today, I’ve been thinking.”

Donnie raised a brow. Where could this possibly be going? He could feel something akin to hope gently tugging at his brain, but he was almost too afraid to acknowledge it. 

“You and me… well, all of us really,” April chuckled. “We don’t exactly live _inside_ the law.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him and he laughed despite himself. 

“So,” she continued, “who’s to say that, if we were to get married, it would have to be all legal and binding and all that?” Her cheeks suddenly turned pink. “We could do our own thing. And it would be official to us. And our family. Um, if we wanted to,” she paused. “Do… would you want to?”

Donnie stared at her, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. The woman of his dreams was telling him that marriage—to her!—was solidly on the table. Like… they could do it. That she wanted to. Holy shell. 

Tears began to prick the corners of his eyes and he reached out and grabbed her hand. “Y-yeah, I would. Want to,” he said shakily. “Are you saying…?” He didn’t want to finish his sentence. This talk had quickly turned into one of the most important conversations he’d ever had and now he was terrified he might mess it up. 

April was beaming at him, her cheeks still pink and tears forming in her own eyes. “Yeah. I am.” He watched as she took a deep breath and got up on her knees to kneel in front of where he was sitting. His eyes went round and he could feel his heart hammering inside his chest. 

“Donatello,” April said, still grinning from ear to ear. “Will you marry me?” 

Donnie felt like his heart was exploding in his chest. He let out a shuddering breath as he nodded frantically, suddenly unable to use his tongue. April laughed, happy tears streaming down her face as she lunged toward him. Her momentum threw him back and she landed on top of him, barely pausing before planting her lips firmly on his. 

Donnie wrapped his arms around her, holding her as tightly as he dared, not wanting to crush her. Having finally regained his senses, he pulled back from her kiss. “Holy chalupa, are we engaged?” he whispered in awe. April nodded happily and stroked his cheek. 

“I… but wasn’t I supposed to ask you?” he mused teasingly. 

April chortled. “Does it really matter?” she said, kissing his cheek. “Donnie… you went out on so many limbs for me before we got together. Consider this returning the favor.”

Donnie laughed lightly. “I’ll take it,” he muttered before pulling his now fiancé back in for a kiss and feeling grateful they were already conveniently in bed together.   


* * *

Three months later, Donnie and April were laying in bed together again. But this time, instead of an old, oversized t-shirt, April was wearing a simple, white cocktail dress. 

They lay together quietly for a moment, each unwinding from the long busy day. Donnie felt exhausted, but relentlessly happy. Here he was. In bed. With his wife. 

His wife. He never thought he’d be able to say those words, and yet. Somehow he’d managed to marry the woman of his dreams… his best friend. Seriously, this might be the most impressive thing he’d ever pulled off. Better than any invention or victory. 

He leaned over and kissed her, breathing in the sweet, clean scent of the little flowers she’d put in her hair for the occasion. 

“How’re you feeling, _wife_?” he smiled. 

“Tired but happy, _husband_ ,” she smiled back, and pulled him in for a longer kiss this time. 

“Mmm,” Donnie sighed as he pulled away. “Before we, uh, get started, I have something for you. A wedding gift.” 

April made a little “ooh” sound. “Is that so? Because I may have something for you too.” She scooted off the bed and ran to her dresser and began rummaging. 

As she did, Donnie pulled his gift to her out from under their bed. April returned to the bed with a small, slim, square present. Donnie pushed his own clumsily wrapped gift toward her. “You go first,” he said, eager to see her reaction. He’d worked for several nights on his gift to her, making sure everything looked perfect. 

April carefully opened the package and gasped as she pulled out a leather holster, clearly designed to hold her tessen. Up and down the straps of the holster, the Hamato clan symbol had been precisely embroidered in black thread. 

“Donnie…” she sighed as she ran her fingers over the embroidery. “Did you make this?”

“Yeah. Do you like it?” he asked hopefully. 

“I love it,” she said, leaning forward and giving him a quick kiss. 

“Good. You couldn’t be more officially a Hamato now,” Donnie grinned. 

April bit her lip and smiled. “Funny you should say that,” she said, thrusting her gift into his hands. 

Donnie gave her a puzzled look, but ripped open his present. It was a small picture frame, and under the glass there was a newspaper clipping from the classified section. It read: 

_ “Notice is hereby given that an order entered by the New York City court, on the 20 day of June, bearing Index Number 4438A, grants me the right to assume the name of **April Hamato**. The city and state of my address are New York City, NY; the month and year of my birth are November 1996; place of my birth is Northampton, NY; my previous name was April O’Neil.” _

His hands shook as he read through the ad a second time, mouthing the name ‘April Hamato.’ “April…” he finally breathed. “What… is this… real?” 

April nodded. “Legal and binding. I am officially a Hamato, both down here and topside.”

“April Hamato,” Donnie tested it out and was instantly hit by a wave of memories—their first kiss at the farmhouse, him holding her as she sobbed in the rain after shattering him into a billion pieces, the first time he ever laid eyes on her. He took a shuddering breath and surged forward, claiming her lips again. “Mrs. Hamato,” he groaned against her mouth. 

“In every way,” she whispered back as she pulled him down with her to begin the first of many nights as man and wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case that was confusing at the end, if you change your name in the US for reasons other than marriage, adoption, etc., many states require that you publish an announcement in the paper. April would have had to do this since her marriage isn’t recognized by the state. Her announcement is a shortened version of the template recommended for people in New York State. 
> 
> The more you know.


	8. Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo goes to our favorite couple for advice on taking the next step with Karai, which leads to him learning a little more than he expected about his brother’s love life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this chapter skates right up to the edge between a T and an M rating. Sex is discussed, body parts are mentioned, but nothing more graphic than I’ve seen in a PG-13 movie or network television. 
> 
> Anyway. One of my favorite scenes in the 2012 series is when Leo goes to see April after meeting Karai. I think it’s adorable that Leo’s like ok, I have a crush, I need to tell my gal pal about it and see what she thinks. Head canons were launched and now I believe Leo often goes to April about Girl Trouble. Like I’m willing to bet April knows a lot more about Leo’s personal life than any of his brothers. 
> 
> This fic sprang from that head canon.

Leo took a deep breath. In through his nose, out through his mouth. _Steady your center._

He raised his hand and knocked on the window. He could hear April moving around in her room and braced himself for a second before forcefully reminding himself to settle down. This was April, his friend. More than that, really. She was his brother’s girlfriend and practically a sister. Completely trustworthy. 

He smiled nervously as she slid open her window and crawled out onto the fire escape to join him. It wasn't that late, but she already had her pajamas on. 

“Leo,” she said in greeting. “What’s up?” She looked at him searchingly and he could guess why. He didn’t often come to visit her alone. In fact, he hardly ever did. Why would he? He saw her practically every day when she dropped by the lair or met them out at night for patrol. 

No, he only came to see her when he had something personal he wanted to talk about. Because April was a good listener. And more than a good listener, she was a good audience. He thought back for a moment to the first time he’d come to see her, when he’d first met Karai. She’d been so excited for him and so eager to hear more about this girl… until he’d revealed exactly who she was. 

That was when he’d learned that yeah, April was a good listener, but she wasn’t a passive one. She’d give you her honest opinion.

Like the last time he’d been to visit her. It had been a couple of months ago and he had been in a state. He and Karai had been hot and cold for months and he was reaching his breaking point. One day Karai would tell him she liked him, the next she would tease or ignore him. He was feeling strung along and he’d finally decided he needed a female opinion on the whole situation. 

April had been direct with him. She’d told him to be honest with Karai and set some boundaries. Either she was in or she was out. It had sounded a little harsh and he’d been nervous when he followed the advice—but it had worked. He and Karai had now been dating for nearly three months. 

Which brought him to tonight. “Hey, April,” he said uncertainly. “I, uh, was wondering if I could talk to you. About Karai. Is now a good time?” 

As if in response, April crouched down to sit on the fire escape. “Sure. What’s going on? Everything ok with you guys?” 

Leo weighed his words as he sat down beside her. He considered himself a private guy and he knew Karai preferred to keep her cards close to her chest as well. Still, if he was going to get any kind of help tonight, he knew he’d have to spill. 

He took a deep breath and began speaking, staring out ahead of him instead of at April. “Everything’s good, really good. It’s just that, well,” he paused and looked up for a second, summoning courage. “Karai’s been dropping hints.” 

“What sort of hints?” In his periphery, he could see April staring at him.

“That, uh, that she’d like to… take the next step. Uh. Physically.” He could feel his face growing hot and knew he must be blushing. _Get it together man,_ he chided himself. _If you can’t handle talking about this sort of thing like an adult, how are you going to handle the real thing?_

He reluctantly turned toward April. She looked a bit taken aback, but she visibly pulled herself together once she noticed him looking at her. “Oh. Ok,” she said steadily. “And… how do you feel about that?” 

“Nervous,” he breathed. “I mean, I want to. It’s… the next step. We’ve been dating for a while and this is what happens, right?” He thought of the night Donnie had come back later than usual from April’s apartment. They’d been dating for about two months at the time and the way Donnie had practically floated into the lair combined with the fact that April’s scent had been _all_ over him had given it away pretty quickly that they had done the deed. Now, Leo figured it was his turn. 

April considered him for a moment before she started speaking in a diplomatic tone. “Well, yeah, that’s what happens with a lot of people. But not everyone. Are you sure you’re, you know, ready?”

Leo nodded. “Yeah, I am. I do want to. I’m just nervous.” He chuckled awkwardly. “And you know Karai. She can be a little…”

“Intimidating?” April finished for him. 

He smiled, thinking of the utterly unique woman he had been in love with for so long. “Yeah. Don’t get me wrong. I care deeply about her. And I want to be with her. I just… don’t want to make a complete fool of myself when I do.” 

April nodded sympathetically. “I hear ya. And…” she paused and leaned in conspiratorially. “Between you, me, and the fire escape, Donnie was an absolute wreck before our first time. Like, to the point I wasn’t sure it was actually going to happen. I mean,” she shrugged. “He managed to pull himself together and it wound up being fine, but yeah. It’s normal.” 

Leo fought to maintain control over his body so he wouldn’t cringe at this peek behind the scenes of his brother’s personal life. 

Though now that he thought about it, he was a little envious of Donnie. April was, perhaps above all things, a very accepting person. If Donnie flailed around during their first time, she probably comforted him and coddled him until his confidence was restored. And while he had complete faith that Karai cared deeply for him as well, she wasn’t a coddler. She had no compunction letting him know if she was displeased about something. With most things, he appreciated her straightforwardness. He’d rather know if something was bothering her than have to beat around the bush. 

But when it came to sex… things were different.

He wrestled with what to say next. He and April were friends and they talked about many things together, but he wasn’t exactly sure if what he was about to ask was crossing some sort of line. Still… the thought of disappointing Karai pushed him forward. 

“I realize it’s normal,” he said slowly. “I just… want to make sure I, uh, live up to her expectations.” 

April frowned slightly. “Okayyy.”

_Come on Leo. If you want something, ask_. The voice in his head sounded very much like Karai. 

Feeling heat washing over his cheeks again, Leo ducked his head and averted his eyes. “I guess I was wondering if you could give me any tips. You know, from a girl’s point of view. I-I tried looking some stuff up online but… a lot of what I saw seemed, uh, disreputable.” he finished awkwardly. 

April was quiet long enough for him to look back at her. There was a faint blush on her cheeks and she was clearly weighing what to do next. “Leo,” she began slowly. “Maybe this is something you should talk to Donnie about.” 

He sighed. “I wanted to. But, well, when we asked him about, uh, you and him after you guys, you know.” _Oh god this was awkward._ “He wasn’t very forthcoming with any details.”

April snorted. “Yeah, he told me about that. You know, maybe he wasn’t forthcoming because all of you pounced on him at once. And like, directly after the fact, too. I think though, if you talked to him alone, privately, he’d be more willing to help.” 

Leo nodded. “That’s... probably a good idea.” He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He was getting the feeling that he had crossed a line. “Sorry, April, I just thought you might be able to help me out. Like I said, from a girl’s point of view. I, uh, understand though if you’re not comfortable. I shouldn’t have assumed you would be. I get it. It’s personal.” 

He startled a little when he suddenly felt April’s hand on his shoulder. “Ok,” she said softly. 

His brow came together in confusion. “Ok, what?” 

“Ok, I’ll give you a few general tips,” she said, still looking a little pink. “But with two stipulations. One, if you have any questions outside of what I tell you, you go ask Donnie or look it up online. And two, this information stays between you, me, and Don. I don’t love the idea of becoming the go-to sex consultant for all you guys.” 

A little bubble of hope grew in Leo’s gut. “Deal,” he said quickly.

April took a deep breath and sat back on her hands. “Ok, I’m going to assume you know the basics, right? Like body parts and where they’re located and what goes where?” 

Leo didn’t think he could blush any harder. _Grow up_ , he mentally slapped himself. _Prove that you’re ready for this._ “Yeah, I know all that stuff,” he muttered. 

“Good. Then my first piece of general advice is just to take it slow. Don’t rush, especially if it’s her first time too. Uh, is it? Her first time?” April raised her eyebrows in curiosity. 

Leo cleared his throat. “Um, no. It’s not.”

“Ok, well still, it’s her first time with you, so, slow is still a good idea,” April said evenly. Leo nodded. 

“My second piece of general advice,” April continued. “Is communication. Don’t be afraid to talk. Ask her what she likes. Tell her what you like. And what you don’t like.”

Leo puffed out his cheeks and deflated them slowly. “Yeah, that’s partially what I was afraid of. Her communicating with me that she hates what I’m doing.” 

April looked at him pityingly. “She’s not going to hate what you do. She might redirect you or give you some constructive feedback, though. And if she does, just listen.

“Which brings me to my third piece of general advice. Be open to learning. You didn’t master martial arts overnight and you won’t become some kind of sex expert overnight either.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, no I realize that.”

“Well, Karai knows it too.”

Leo nodded and said nothing, expecting her to continue. When she didn’t, he began to feel the awkwardness settling back in. 

“So, is that... all?” He asked tentatively. He had to admit, he was a little disappointed. April’s advice was usually straightforward with easy to follow steps. Her advice here had been fine, she’d made good points... but he still felt like something was lacking. 

April shrugged. “That’s all you’re getting from me. I love ya Leo, but I’m not gonna sit here and talk about what to touch and when and how hard. It’s a little... eeaghhh. Personal,” she finished with a crooked smile. “If it’s locker room talk you want, find your brother.”

Leo opened his mouth to protest, but April cut him off. “Look, I’ll make it easier for you.” She whipped out her phone and typed something into it, then turned the screen toward him so he could read the text she’d just sent to Donnie. 

_ April: Hey, Leo might hit you up for some advice later. You have my full permission to tell him anything xoxo  _

As he read the text, an incoming message from Donnie appeared. 

_ Donnie: Advice about what exactly? Is he with you? What’s going on? _

April turned the screen back toward her, snorting as she read the text. She typed a short message back, then put her phone away. 

“I hope I was able to help you somewhat,” she said. “Just... try not to overthink it. And if you want more details, talk to Don.” 

Leo nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, Ape.”

She smiled. “That’s what friends are for,” she beamed, then lowered her voice to a dramatic whisper. “Good luck!” 

Leo shook his head and began to climb back up to April’s building’s roof.   


* * *

Twenty minutes later, he trudged through the lair in the direction of Donnie’s lab. He found his brother tinkering with an unidentifiable piece of scrap machinery and for a moment he was tempted to back out and leave the lab unnoticed. Then he remembered that Donnie probably already knew he was coming. Leo hadn’t seen the last text April had sent, so for all he knew, Donnie might even know why he was seeking him out. 

Feeling supremely awkward, Leo cleared his throat to announce his presence. Donnie looked up, startled for a second before pushing his safety goggles up on his head. 

“Leo,” he greeted him. “April said you might be coming for me.”

“Did she say why?” Leo groaned, chafing at the idea of the two of them texting about his apparent cluelessness. This wasn’t the picture of leadership he preferred to portray. 

“She didn’t. And I must admit, you guys have my curiosity piqued,” Donnie said, wiping his hands on a grease rag. “What’s this about?” 

Leo threw himself down into one of Donnie’s swivel chairs and ran a hand over his face. “It’s about Karai. She wants… I think she wants to take things to the next level. Like... intimacy-wise.” 

He made a face and peeked over at Donnie. His brother had a small smile playing around on his face. He held up a finger as if he were about to make a point, but instead of speaking, walked over to the door and slid it shut. 

Once the door was closed, Donnie took a deep breath. “Well, first things first, if you can’t say _it_ , you’re probably not ready to do _it_ ,” he teased gently. 

Leo rolled his eyes. “I don’t have a problem saying ‘sex,’ Don. I was… trying to be delicate.” Yeah, that sounded convincing. 

“Riiight. And Rosalind Franklin wasn’t robbed.” Donnie’s voice was thick with sarcasm. He walked over and sat down on another chair across from Leo, who at the moment was looking and feeling very confused. 

“I’m guessing you went to April first for advice?” Donnie said, now sounding a little kinder. 

Leo nodded. “Yeah. And… it kinda sucked?” He sighed. “I shouldn’t say that. She was helpful, but not terribly informative.” 

Donnie leaned in. “What’d she tell you?” 

“Just general advice. But, like so general I still don’t have much to go off of, other than to take it slow.” 

Donnie sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. “You know, that’s actually a good starting point. Whether or not Karai’s ever done this before, she’s never been with someone like us. You uh, know what human guys look like, right? Down there?” 

Leo gave him a look. “Yeah,” he scoffed. 

Donnie ignored his attitude. “Well then you know that we’re a bit bigger than human males, and it can be a lot for a human female to take if she’s not used to it.” 

Ok, he hadn’t thought about it like that. He was instantly struck with an important question. “Could I… hurt her? I mean, I don’t want to…” he stammered. 

Donnie waved his concerns away. “If you go slow, you’ll be fine. Remember, vaginas are built to pass a baby. They stretch.”

Leo’s eyes grew wide. It was strange enough to be discussing such intimate anatomy with his brother, let alone discussing it because he was trying to get ready to become familiar with said anatomy. 

Donnie, on the other hand, looked oddly relaxed. Leo wondered if this was just another lecture to him, same as when he pontificated on DNA or the properties of Kraang energy cells. Leo couldn’t decide if he preferred this to a nervous, anxious version of his brother. 

Deciding to take advantage of things while Donnie was still in professor mode, he spoke up again. “April didn’t really go into any specifics, though. As far as advice goes.” 

“Is that what you’re looking for?” 

Leo grimaced. “Uh, I guess? I mean, I’m not looking for step by step instructions, just… anything that’ll make it better. For Karai,” he added quickly, his cheeks turning pink.

Donnie nodded and thought for a second. “Well, everyone’s different,” he mused. “But I guess it’s safe to tell you that, uh, building things up slowly usually works well. Uh, like, don’t immediately go for, you know.” He made a quick flicking motion with one of his fingers and Leo was suddenly torn between wanting to sink into the floor and feeling some satisfaction that Donnie was now looking a little pink in the cheeks as well. 

“Kayyy,” he said slowly. 

“And uh, knowing Karai, don’t be afraid to not be gentle. Uh, I mean, once you guys are, uh, off and running,” Donnie said, now looking everywhere but directly at Leo, his impassive instructor mode having clearly gone out the window. 

Leo frowned. “But I don’t want to hurt her.”

Donnie chuckled sardonically. “No, I mean… girls sometimes like it… Uh. Ok,” he paused and looked around as if he were worried their brothers might be lurking in the corners. “April likes it when I… bite her.” He winced. 

“Really?” Leo leaned forward in his seat, fascinated. “Like… love bites?”

“Sort of? But kind of harder?” Donnie said in a sotto voice. “Oh man, if she hadn’t sent me that text I would never tell you this for fear she’d kill me but. She likes when I bite her shoulders. And… her ass.” 

Leo sat back, mulling over this information. “I… wow. I did not know that was a thing.” 

“And Karai might not be into it,” Donnie said quickly. “But it’s something to try.” 

“How did you know it was ok? To try, I mean?” Leo said, trying to stave off a mental image of him nipping Karai and her instantly demanding to know what the hell was wrong with him. 

Donnie shrugged. “I didn’t. It’s hard to describe, but when you’re in the moment, some things just seem like a really good idea at the time.” 

“Like what else?” 

Donnie’s blush turned darker. “Uh, spanking. Dirty talk. Hair pulling.”

“And April likes all of that?” Leo said, feeling dumbfounded. 

Donnie awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeeah. Not all the time, but yeah. She likes that stuff.” 

“What if Karai doesn’t though?”

Donnie held out his hands. “If she says she doesn’t like it, just don’t do it again.” 

Leo sagged. “April said something similar,” he sighed. “That I should just listen to Karai.”

Donnie smiled. “April gives good advice, doesn’t she? Listen Leo, I know you like to plan things out ahead of time, but you can’t do that here. You just kinda have to jump in and do your best.” 

He had nailed it. Leo would have preferred to go into this like he went into everything: situation assessed and battle plan drawn out. He realized now what both Donnie and April had been trying to tell him. It wasn’t going to be perfect, but as long as he was willing to keep trying, it would get better. 

He smiled to himself as he started to feel better. Suddenly, he felt inspired—he knew what would put a bounce back in his step. “Thanks, Don,” he said, getting up and patting his brother on the arm. 

Donnie got up as well. “You’re welcome. Anything else you want to know?” 

Leo pretended to think for a moment before grinning. “Yeah. What was your first time like?”

Donnie’s face went flat and unreadable. “What did April tell you?”

Leo bit the inside of his cheek in an effort to keep a straight face. “Uh, she might have mentioned you were pretty nervous.” 

Donnie narrowed his eyes for a second before tossing his arms up. “How do you think it went!?” he blurted out. “Hi, I’m Donatello. Have you seen how most things generally go for me?” he sassed before calming down. “I take it you’ve gotten all you need from this?” 

Leo stifled his chuckles. “Yeah. Thanks man. I mean it.”

Donnie rolled his eyes good naturedly. “Any time,” he smiled, then in a voice that was eerily like his girlfriend’s, he whispered dramatically, “Good luck!”   


* * *

Donnie watched Leo’s retreating form until his brother was clear of the lab. Once he was sure Leo was gone, he picked his phone up from his desk and sent a text to his girlfriend. 

_ Donnie: I think I just gave a birds and bees talk to my older brother. Is this what you were warning me about?  _

_ April: Yep! How’d it go? _

_ Donnie: All awkwardness aside, not terrible? Gave him a few tips _

_ April: Like what? _

_ Donnie: Like don’t stampede toward the clitoris _

_ April: LOL _

_ April: Solid advice tho  _

_Donnie: So… what exactly did you tell him about our first time?_

_ April: Ummmm _

_ April: That you were a total stud and lasted for hours and just, whew, wore me out. I came a bajillion times  _

_ Donnie: Yeah yeah very funny _

_ April: I was walking funny for days _

_ Donnie: ALL RIGHT _

_ April: jk, I just told him you were nervous too and that it was normal _

_ Donnie: … I wasn’t that bad, right?  _

_ April: You were fine. The first time is supposed to be awkward _

_ Donnie: I feel like you’re coddling me _

_ April: You got better. That’s what counts _

_ Donnie: Well, practice makes perfect!  _

_ April: Speaking of which… wanna come over and practice ;) _

_Donnie: I’ll be there in 10! <3_


End file.
